Hillary Victor is a Special Correspondent at Chandigarh. He covers Chandigarh administration, municipal corporation and all political parties.
Articles by Hillary Victor
Seeing legal wall ahead, GMADA rolls back property transfer fee
Realising that transfer fee for plots in Sectors 81, 88 and 89, Aerocity and Eco City (Mullanpur) had been increased in violation of rules, the Greater Mohali Area Development Authority (GMADA) on Wednesday rolled back its decision.
Updated on Jul 17, 2013 10:09 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Hillary Victor, Sas Nagar
Littering can land you in jail, actually
If you thought carelessly throwing that emptied bag of chips or a beer bottle on the road was just a naughty transgression, read the next few sentences with extra care. In a first for Chandigarh, a local court has convicted and fined five persons for littering the streets under sections of the Indian penal Code (IPC).
Updated on Jul 16, 2013 10:43 AM IST
Hindustan Times | Hillary Victor, Chandigarh
Young city, old pattern: How slums evolve
Four decades ago, Munishwar Yadav came to Chandigarh as a 20-year-old with three friends from Azamgarh in Uttar Pradesh in search of work. He found home in shanty in Industrial Area, which has gradually developed into a full-fledged slum now called Colony No 4.
Updated on Jul 14, 2013 01:49 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Hillary Victor, Chandigarh
Power bill tussle leaves 3,000 Kansal residents parched
It has been a mid-monsoon water crisis for nearly 3,000 residents of Kansal village for the past two days..
Updated on Jul 11, 2013 10:33 AM IST
Hindustan Times | Hillary Victor, Chandigarh
No compromise, duo tastes Indian hospitality!
The 'chalta hai' attitude isn't quite universal, you see! Two British nationals on Monday got a taste of Indian hospitality after an air-conditioned (AC) bus of Himachal Pradesh state transport that started at 12.10pm from Chandigarh for Manali broke down within minutes at the Balongi barrier in Kharar.
Updated on Jul 09, 2013 10:54 AM IST
Hindustan Times | Hillary Victor, Chandigarh
Disabled be damned, Municipal Corporation fails to get act together
Leave aside helping the physically challenged and the elderly, the Chandigarh municipal corporation does not even know the guidelines provided under a law passed by parliament 17 years ago,that stipulate a disabled-friendly environment. In response to a Right to Information (RTI) application, the MC has in turn asked the applicant to provide a copy of the guidelines
Updated on Jun 21, 2013 11:21 AM IST
Hindustan Times | Hillary Victor, Chandigarh
Day after GMADA auction, two of 18 winners back out
A day after its auction of 66 commercial sites got only 18 successful bidders, the Greater Mohali Area Development Authority (GMADA) on Wednesday received another jolt as two of the 16 backed out. The deterrent is the same -- high reserve prices - though it was a belated realisation this time.
Updated on Jun 20, 2013 10:27 AM IST
Hindustan Times | Hillary Victor, Sas Nagar
GMADA's 2% cancer cess holds back buyers
The Greater Mohali Area Development Authority (GMADA) received a jolt on Tuesday after out of 66 commercial sites put under hammer, only 18 were sold. In the auction held at the community centre of Sector 70, GMADA earned only Rs 17.52 crore against the reserve price of Rs 15.53 crore. Hillary Victor reports
Updated on Jun 19, 2013 02:39 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Hillary Victor, Sas Nagar
New policy disappoints SAS Nagar industrialists
The new industrial policy announced by the state government on Monday has not gone down well with industrialists in the town, with many describing it as disappointing and discouraging for present industrial units.
Updated on Jun 04, 2013 11:05 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Hillary Victor, Sas Nagar
Girls eclipse boys, but honours even at the top
A boy and a girl from Sangrur district were declared joint toppers in the Punjab School Education Board (PSEB) Class-10 examinations, the result of which was declared on Monday. The pass percentage of girls was 76.58%, far better than that of the boys (63.84%).
Updated on Jun 04, 2013 12:18 AM IST
Hindustan Times | Hillary Victor, Sas Nagar
Boot from ministry puts Bansal in hibernation
The loss of the prized railway ministry seems to have silenced Pawan Kumar Bansal in his hometown. Some said the loss - triggered by his nephew Vijay Singla's May 3 arrest by the CBI for taking Rs 90 lakh bribe for a lucrative railway post -- may spur him to deploy more focus on his Lok Sabha constituency, Chandigarh.
Updated on May 27, 2013 12:44 AM IST
Hindustan Times | Hillary Victor, Chandigarh
Mohali shoots late to cancel Namdhari's gun licence
Almost six months after liquor baron Ponty Chadha was killed in a shootout at a Delhi farmhouse, the Mohali administration has cancelled the arms licence of Sukhdev Singh Namdhari, who is at present behind bars in the case.
Updated on May 25, 2013 01:27 AM IST
Hindustan Times | Hillary Victor, Mohali
MC officers cancel tour; but you still lose R4 lakh
Two municipal corporation (MC) officials, scheduled to go on a seven-day study tour of Malaysia, Thailand and Singapore on Wednesday, cancelled their South-east Asia trip at the last minute.
Updated on May 24, 2013 10:09 AM IST
Hindustan Times | Hillary Victor, Chandigarh
Mohali MC strays from duty
They graze and defaecate in community parks and unwittingly dodge vehicles on broken tarmac roads — the stray cattle menace continues to hound the residents of SAS Nagar.
Updated on May 15, 2013 11:56 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Hillary Victor, Sas Nagar
Two months on, UT still to approve MC budget
With the municipal corporation of Chandigarh approving Rs 657-crore budget more than two months ago, the UT administration has not yet approved it, hitting the development works of the engineering department such as construction and maintenance of roads and other projects.
Updated on May 14, 2013 10:59 AM IST
Hindustan Times | Hillary Victor, Chandigarh
Educated vie to sweep Chandigarh
Such seems to be the craze for government jobs that even post-graduates and graduates are not averse to the idea of wielding a broom in City Beautiful. Hillary Victor reports. Craze for government jobs?
Updated on May 09, 2013 01:55 AM IST
Hindustan Times | Hillary Victor, Chandigarh
Degree holders ready to sweep city
Such seems to be the craze for government jobs that even postgraduates and graduates are not averse to the idea of wielding brooms in the City Beautiful.
Updated on May 08, 2013 11:01 AM IST
Hindustan Times | Hillary Victor, Chandigarh
My grandfather had cars when they were rarity in India: Vikram Bansal
A day after senior BJP leader Satya Pal Jain claimed that the family of union railway minister Pawan Kumar Bansal and his nephew (sister's son) Vijay Singla had common business interest, Vikram Bansal, nephew (brother's son) of the railway minister on Monday hit back at the BJP leader through social media.
Updated on May 07, 2013 12:01 AM IST
Hindustan Times | Hillary Victor, Chandigarh
MC under scanner in recruitment of 25 clerks
The municipal corporation of Chandigarh has come under scanner after gross violations were found in the appointment of 25 clerks on contract for six months, who had joined their offices on May 1.
Updated on May 02, 2013 11:46 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Hillary Victor, Chandigarh
MC okays R35-cr sewage plant sans debate
Without holding any debate on the project for setting up of a R 35-crore sewage treatment plant (STP) at Maloya, the municipal corporation of Chandigarh gave its approval to the controversial project in the House meeting on Tuesday.
Updated on May 01, 2013 11:56 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Hillary Victor, Chandigarh
Real estate society takes 400 members for ride
A real estate society has been found to have violated key provisions of the Punjab Apartment and Property Regulation Act, 1995 (PAPRA) under the Greater Mohali Area Development Authority (GMADA), putting at risk nearly Rs 200 crore of its 400 members.
Updated on Apr 29, 2013 11:35 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Hillary Victor, Sas Nagar
'Oldest sector home to most canines'
Here is a tag, which one of the oldest sectors of Chandigarh would not be proud to showcase: of having maximum number of stray dogs. With 347 canines on the loose, Sector 22 has earned the dubious distinction of topping the chart of residential-commercial areas with stray dogs.
Updated on Apr 29, 2013 12:52 AM IST
Hindustan Times | Hillary Victor, Chandigarh
Sewage treatment plant agenda may raise a stink
An agenda of the municipal corporation concerning the setting of a sewage treatment plant (STP) at Maloya is bound to raise stink in days to come. The civic body plans to discuss in the House the technology for setting up of 5-MGD plant at an estimated cost of Rs 35 crore on April 30 even as a committee formed last year to suggest such measures has failed to submit a report.
Updated on Apr 25, 2013 09:35 AM IST
Hindustan Times | Hillary Victor, Chandigarh
Women commandos strike a chord with girls
A day after Punjab deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal launched mobile women commando squads to curb crimes against women, the women cops' first stop was classrooms of schools in SAS Nagar.
Updated on Apr 24, 2013 03:52 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Hillary Victor, Sas Nagar
MC cares two hoots for SC order
A municipal corporation wing seems to be challenging the writ of the top court of the country. Even as the Supreme Court has made it amply clear that a no-objection certificate (NOC) is not required during the sale of freehold property, the estate branch of the civic body is insisting that sellers provide the document.
Updated on Apr 18, 2013 12:09 AM IST
Hindustan Times | Hillary Victor, Chandigarh
‘Khanna couple’s drug trade was spread over 4 districts’
A day after a couple was arrested with 500-gm heroin and Rs 4 lakh, it has come to light that the two allegedly had a well-knit network for supplying the drug in the districts of Nawanshahr, Khanna, Fatehgarh Sahib and SAS Nagar.
Updated on Apr 17, 2013 10:02 AM IST
Hindustan Times | Hillary Victor, Sas Nagar
Khanna couple's drug trade was spread in four districts
A day after a couple was arrested with 500-gm heroin and Rs 4 lakh, it has come to light that the two allegedly had a well-knit network for supplying the drug in the districts of Nawanshahr, Khanna, Fatehgarh Sahib and SAS Nagar.
Updated on Apr 16, 2013 11:34 PM IST
Hindustan Times | Hillary Victor, Sas Nagar
Finally, Mohali guns for 41 fake licensees
Almost five months after liquor baron Ponty Chadha was killed in a shootout at a Delhi farmhouse, local authorities have initiated the process to cancel the arms licence of Sukhdev Singh Namdhari, at present behind bars regarding the case.
Updated on Apr 15, 2013 12:30 AM IST
Hindustan Times | Hillary Victor, Sas Nagar
MC cracks whip on water bill defaulters
Taps of residents who have not paid their pending water bills have started to run dry, for the municipal corporation on Friday started snapping the connections of defaulters who owe more than Rs 10,000 to it.
Updated on Apr 13, 2013 12:16 AM IST
Hindustan Times | Hillary Victor, Chandigarh
All talk and no work at MC fire wing
Even as Chandigarh MC is gearing up to observe the fire safety week from April 14 to 20, it seems the fire wing of the civic body is awaiting for some disaster to happen in the city, as despite the 2009 house approval to demarcate fire zones in the parking lots of markets, nothing has been done so far.
Updated on Apr 06, 2013 01:14 AM IST
Hindustan Times | Hillary Victor, Chandigarh